Cadet Years
by Gladian
Summary: Takes place during the 104th gang's cadet years. Contains eremika, yumikuri, and aruani.
1. Training Corps

**A/N First of all, spoiler warning for all of AOT. This is the first fanfiction I've written, but I think I understand all of the characters, so hopefully it will be good. Enjoy!**

Training Corps

 _Everyone had different reasons for joining the training corps. Each person hoped to gain a different thing from the experience. None of them understood where the road would take them..._

Jean Kirstein had no desire to see the word beyond the walls. He thought it suicide, and he had no intention of ending his life. He thought humanity was destined to remain inside the walls. He joined to became a good solider for the Military Police, to serve the king behind Wall Sina. It was so he could live a life of safety and comfort. He was determined to join the MPs.

Sasha Braus was unsure of which regiment to join. She decided to choose later, for now she just wanted to train and eat potatoes. To her, that was the good life.

In a way, Connie Springer was the same. It was his intention to do well at the training corps, and then he would decide his regiment, and his fate.

Christa Lenz has always questioned her place in society. Confusion daunted each step she took within the training grounds. However, she vowed to do her best. To be a good solider, and better yet, a good person.

Marco Bott just wanted to be a good solider. He didn't have a specific regiment in mind, and he hadn't give it much thought. He figured, that could be decided _later._

Armin Arlert had a dream; to see the ocean. He wanted to fight for humanity, so that one day when peace was won, he and his friends could see the ocean.

Eren Jaeger was unlike no other cadet. His goal was clear; to kill all titans. Moreover, he wanted humanity to win. He held the firm belief that humanity's freedom lay beyond the walls. Eren desired to avenge his mother's death, for she was eaten by a titan before his very eyes. The creatures disgusted him, and he was willing to sacrifice everything in order to end them, and to free humanity from their grasp.

Mikasa Ackerman joined the training corps for one reason; to protect Eren Jaeger at all costs. She knew he and Armin Arlert would join, and she decided that she wouldn't be left behind. She had to make sure he and Armin survived. Loyalty was her strongest trait. She was willing to die if it meant that Eren could live another day.

Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover were sent to the training corps on a mission. They shared the same goal, which was to return to their village. However, they would have to first complete the mission, much to their combined dismay.

Annie Leonhart faced an internal struggle. She was anything but a normal girl, but sometimes Annie wished she could live a simple life. She settled for pretending to be this way, putting up a front of simplicity and relative weakness, Annie continued on her mission, alongside her valued comrades; Reiner and Bertolt.

Ymir has been through a lot for the sake of others, so once she escaped her seemingly endless torture, she vowed to live only for herself. She joined the training corps, because she was interested in fellow cadet Christa Lenz.

With that, each of the cadets made their pledge, and they offered their hearts to humanity.


	2. Accepted

**A/N This is gonna be more of a fun, light-hearted chapter. Hope you guys are cool with that!**

 _Despite the dire circumstances the young cadets were in, they were still teenagers, and so every once in a while, they acted like teenagers._

Accepted 

The cadets cheered, for they had recently been officially accepted into the training corps. This meant a world more to one particular cadet, whom goes by the name Eren Jaeger. He had struggled to use the 3DMG, but he was determined, and he managed to do better. However, his trouble proved to be due to an error with the 3DMG. In the end, he had been accepted after all. It was a good thing too, because how else would he kill all titans?

That night, the future-soldiers stayed up late talking about their hopes and dreams with one another. Over in the boys' barracks, Eren spoke about his goal to murder the titans, which resulted in a heated clash between him and Jean. Reiner and Bertholt spoke of their village, without giving much detail. Connie and Marco conversed.

Meanwhile, in the girls' barracks, Ymir and Christa became better acquainted with one another. Sasha told Mikasa about all her favorite foods, but Mikasa was not really listening.

"So, Mikasa why did you join the training corps?" Christa asked, wanting to create conversation.

"I'm here to protect my friends," Mikasa replied in a firm voice.

"Hah! You don't have to pretend you're only here for your friends. You can admit it, you want glory, don't ya?" Ymir chimed.

Mikasa glared at the freckled girl. She decided against retorting. After all, wouldn't she be a hypocrite if she got into an argument after scolding Eren when he fought with Jean?

"Ymir, that's not very nice. I'm sure she cares about her friends very much," Christa defended her instead.

"Yeah, Ymir. I bet you just need to eat something and unwind a bit," Sasha suddenly suggested.

Annie kept her silence.

Although the other girls were siding with Mikasa rather than herself, Ymir appeared unfazed. She simply shrugged, and with that the conversation died down.

"Do any of you have anything ya wanna do once we're free?" It was Sasha who spoke after a while.

"Once we're free?" Annie questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You know? Like once we defeat the titans, and humanity is safe again," Sasha answered.

"Like that'll ever happen," Ymir snickered.

"You're quite the downer, Ymir. Try to think more positively," said Christa. The blonde turned her attention towards Sasha. "Sasha, once we're free, I think I'd like to get married and be a lady,"

"You can marry me if you want!" Ymir exclaimed.

Christa looked back to Ymir. She wasn't sure how to reply to that, so she didn't.

"Personally, I'd like to open up a restaurant or something," Sasha said.

"Sasha, I think you would probably eat all the food," Mikasa pointed out, finally speaking.

"Isn't that the point of having a restaurant?" Replied Sasha. "Anyway, what would you like to do, Mikasa?"

"My friends and I will be traveling outside the walls. I will stay by their side," she answered.

"Wow, you really seem attached to those friends of yours, Mikasa," said Annie, rolling her eyes.

"I think loyalty is a very nice quality to have," Christa said.

"I disagree," said Ymir.

"Now, why would you say that?" Questioned Christa.

"It's just pointless. Loyalty is draining, I live for myself," Ymir answered.

"Hmph," Christa uttered, shaking her head. "In that case, what exactly does have a point?"

"If you're asking what I'll do, then I'll do whatever I want. That, at least, has a point to it," responded Ymir. At that, Christa sighed.

Silence daunted the girls once more. "I bet things are a lot more lively over at the boys' barracks. Shouldn't we be celebrating?" Sasha asked.

"I think so too, Sasha. Let's play a game," suggested Christa.

"I know! Let's play spin the bottle," Ymir said, rather excited.

"That game isn't fun without any boys," Christa replied.

"I disagree. Who needs boys anyway?" Ymir hastily responded.

"Hey, I have an idea guys!" Sasha announced.

Everyone turned to her. "What?" they all asked in unison.

"Okay, so I'm certain that instructor Shadis must be asleep by now. I bet we could sneak over to the boys' barracks with no trouble at all," Sasha answered.

"That's ridiculous," Annie muttered.

"Yeah! I mean, what are we a bunch of creepers? Are we really about to sneak into their barracks just to watch em sleep!" Ymir shouted.

Sasha facepalmed. "I meant to play spin the bottle with them! They're surely also still awake," she clarified.

"That's a good idea," Christa said, joy seeping through her voice.

"No, it's not. It's absurd! What good could come from that? It doesn't sound fun at all," Ymir said, shaking her head in protest.

"Well, it certainly beats sitting around here! I'd like to have as much fun as possible before we're out there slaying titans for the good of humanity!" Christa exclaimed, suddenly enraged.

"Who says you're joining them scouts, Christa? I won't allow you to get yourself killed following those suicidal maniacs around. You won't like it there anyway, Christa, trust me. Imagine a whole legion worth of Erens. That's what the Survey Corps are," Ymir explained.

"Maybe I will join the scouts, who knows! That's besides the point, though," Christa replied.

"Hey, you know what guys?" Sasha finally spoke again.

"Hmm?" Christa mumbled.

"I just realized, what does it say about us if we can't have any fun without boys? We should stick together and make our own fun, right?" she said.  
"Yes! That's exactly what I've been trying to say!" exclaimed Ymir triumphantly.

Christa scratched the back of her head, deep in thought. "Okay, but we can't play spin the bottle then," she agreed.

"Why not?" Ymir pouted.

Back over at the boys' barracks, things were getting interesting...

Eren and Jean dueled in an arm-wrestling competition. Connie suggested to Armin, Reiner, Marco, and Bertholt that they play truth or dare. This caught Jean's attention, and so he let his guard down. Eren cherished the opportunity, and so he savagely slammed Jean's arm down into the table. "You little cheat!" Jean accused.

After the two boys were finished with the argument that ensued, Jean remembered the truth or dare game Connie proposed. "Oi, Connie, that game of truth or dare sounds fun, let's do it," he said with a grin.

"Okay, who else is in?" Connie asked. Reiner raised his hand, and Bertholt followed suit. Armin, although reluctantly, agreed to participate as well. Eren decided to kill some time, so he also joined the game. Marco proclaimed that he would play as well.

"But, I was thinking since Shadis and the other instructors are asleep by now, maybe we could go into the forest?" Jean suggested. There was a small forest nearby where the cadets practiced their 3DMG.

"Why?" Eren asked in an almost hostile tone.

"What's it to you, suicidal maniac?" Jean retorted.

"Hey, hey let's not start _another_ fight again, okay?" Armin intervened. He didn't care to play peacemaker between the two as much as Mikasa did, but he really was getting sick of them fighting every second.

"Anyway, I was thinking if we went into the forest, we could also invite the girls to join our game," Jean finally explained his reasoning.

Connie snickered. The horse gave him a glare, as if to say, ' _What's so funny?_ ' "It's just, I know for certain, you only want to get the girls involved so that you can see that Ackerman girl again," he explained.

"What's your business with Mikasa?" Eren asked, eyes wide with fury.

Armin facepalmed, for he knew, the fight was not preventable.

"It certainly isn't any of your concern, Jaeger!" Jean shouted.

"The night's still young, we can have some fun. So, instead of fighting, let's go into the forest and play truth or dare," Marco said.

Things were going much better at the girls' barracks now. They played games, chatted, and grew close to one another. Ymir had them all convinced that boys were something to be avoided like the plague. Of course, she only said this to manipulate Christa. She hated it when the young Goddess in disguise concerned herself with men.

In fact, the freckled girl told tales of men being stupid, and she even made up rumors about the male cadets. Ymir was so convincing, that even Mikasa, who's best friends were boys, had started to question the gender as a whole.

Confusion surged through their minds as a knock hit the door from the outside. They wondered, _'who could be knocking at this hour_?' Sasha trotted towards the door, and opened it. The male cadets stood on the other side.

Ymir whispered to Mikasa and Christa, "Look, what did I tell you? Those troublesome boys are at it again, bothering us this late at night! You know what to do," The girls nodded. They quickly gathered up the pillows from the bed, and began tossing them at the boys. Sasha herself joined in on the fun. However, Annie did nothing of the sort, not wanting to look childish.

Eren held his arms up in defense, as Mikasa launched a pillow at him. "Mikasa, what the hell?" He asked, enraged.

"Why are you here? It's bothersome, go to bed, Eren," she responded in monotone.

"Bothersome? Since when have you started dismissing me like some kind of insect?!" The boy fumed.

"Calm down, ladies. We come in peace," Reiner assured them.

At that, Ymir finally gave the girls the signal to halt their attack. "Go away, we were busy!" She demanded. She didn't want the boys to interfere with the time she had with Christa.

"We just thought you girls might like to join us in the forest for a game a of truth or dare," Reiner explained.

"Oooh! Ymir, that sounds fun!" Christa exclaimed happily.

"No, way! Remember what I told you all about this lot?" Ymir asked, gesturing towards the boys.

"I'm starting to think those were lies. Eren is not as dumb as you described him," Mikasa pointed out.

"Ymir, have you been insulting me behind my back!?" Eren asked, clearly angered. "And, you, Mikasa. I can't believe it's so easy to convince you that I'm stupid," the cadet said, shaking his head in disappointment.

Mikasa drifted her gaze downwards in shame, hiding her face behind the fabric of her red scarf.

"I think, Mikasa is right. Let's go have fun in the forest!" Sasha shouted in excitement.

"Yes! You can stay here if you want, Ymir," Christa said.

"Of course I won't. You'll need me to protect you from these fools," Ymir replied.

"Are you coming Mikasa?" Christa asked.

"I think not," the raven-haired girl answered.

"But, Mikasa... you have to come! I convinced them to invite you guys just so you could play too!" Jean suddenly said, desperation creeping into his tone.

"Called it!" Connie shouted in a prideful tone.

Eren glared at Jean, fire raging in his emerald eyes. He was about to confront the boy, but then Armin placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not worth it, really," his blonde friend assured him.

Mikasa shook her head. "Sorry, Jean. I'm tired," she confessed, although it was a lie.

Ymir sighed. "Come on you'll regret not doing this once you're dead," the freckled girl said, as she shoved Mikasa out the door. Annie reluctantly followed the girls out as well.

The group continued to the forest, trying to be stealthy, but they were failing quite horribly. Thankfully, none of the instructors woke up from the commotion.

They reached their desired spot, and then Reiner spoke, "Okay, I'll get things started. Christa, truth or dare?"

"Truth," the girl confidently replied.

"Okay," Reiner thought for a moment. He had plently of questions he wanted to ask the blonde, but none of them were very appropriate. Instead he asked, "Why were you throwing pillows at us?"

"Oh, it's just that Ymir told us to. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings," she answered, suddenly feeling guilty.

"No, you didn't!" Reiner replied urgently, not wanting to upset her.

"Bertholt, truth or dare?" Annie asked.

"Dare," he said.

"Try to climb one of these trees," Annie ordered.

The trees were tall and it was not within Bertholt's extensive training to climb them, and so he failed.

"Mikasa, truth or dare?" asked Eren.

"Dare, I guess," Mikasa answered.

"I dare you to... laugh," Eren said. Most of the other cadets wondered why Eren chose such an easy dare, but he and Armin knew that Mikasa never laughed, ever. They didn't understand why, though.

Mikasa opened her mouth as if to produce the requested sound, but she quickly closed it again. "I don't remember how," she admitted, rather troubled.

"Mikasa , you serious? It's really easy, just like this, ahahahhaha!" Sasha said.

Mikasa opened her mouth in yet another attempt. This time she was able to produce a sound, but it sounded more like a creepy, devious, unnatural, giggling of sorts. Perhaps the noise someone would make after murdering another person?

"Mikasa, that was horrible, it doesn't count," Eren said, unsatisfied.

"Are you saying that you don't like my laugh, Eren?" Mikasa accused.

"Shit, Eren. She looks angry, and this is Mikasa we're talking about. She's always stoic! You better not answer incorrectly," Armin warned in an urgent whisper.

"Of course that isn't what I meant, Mika!" Eren nervously assured her. "You can dare me next," he quickly offered, hoping to make amends.

"Alright, fine. Eren, truth or dare?" Her voice was cold as she asked the familiar question.

Eren could tell that she was still angry, and so he was afraid to choose dare, considering that in her state she'll probably demand he do something ridiculous. "Truth," the boy replied.

"Hmmm... I really already know everything about you, though. I think it would be more fun if you did a dare," Mikasa replied deviously.

Eren gulped. "Okay, dare," he reluctantly agreed.

"I want you to sing a song, and it has to been a song that you come up with youself," She demanded.

"Uhh, ?here come the Scouts, running with slashing blades. They're here to kill the titans! So, be gone you mindless crazed fools! ?" Eren quickly concluded his song.

"Eren, that was horrible, it doesn't count," Mikasa said, unsatisfied.

"Ehh, you saying you don't like my singing?" Eren replied. _'Two can play this game'_ he thought to himself.

"Well played, the both of you. Let's wrap it up. Armin truth or dare?" Bertholt said.

"Truth," the blonde replied.

"Uhh, Reiner, you ask him something," Bert panicked, unable to think of a question.

"Okay, Armin, have you ever drank alcohol?" Reiner questioned.

Armin shook his head. "Nope," he answered truthfully.

"That reminds me. We should go sneak some bread from the kitchen!" Sasha eagerly suggested.

"Alright, I'll go with you," Reiner offered, and the two left.

"Christa, truth or dare?" Ymir asked.

"Dare," answered Christa.

"Marry me," Ymir replied.

"Uhh," murmured Christa, no words escaped her lips.

Soon, Reiner and Sasha came back. Sasha was eating bread, meanwhile Reiner appeared to be holding something behind his back. "Look what I found!" He exclaimed, revealing the bottle of liquor.

"Reiner, we could get in trouble!" Bertholt said.

"Don't worry about it. I picked the cheapest one, they won't be missing it," Reiner assured him with a wink.

Some of the cadets shared the alcohol, however Mikasa, Annie, Armin, Bertholt, and Eren all refused. Eren claimed that he had to train the next day and he didn't want a hangover. Armin and Bertholt didn't want to be irresponsible. Mikasa and Annie were simply not interested in the substance.

The ones who drank got drunk pretty fast. "Jean, truth or dare?" Connie asked, his words were slurred.

"Dare," replied Jean.

"I dare you to kiss Mikasa," he said.

Jean, clearly not in the right mindset and totally loving the idea of getting to kiss Mikasa, actually staggered towards her. Of course, before he could reach her, Eren had roughly shoved the horse away.

"I don't care if you're drunk, Kirstein, you've pissed me off quite enough times tonight," Eren said, grabbing the collar of Jean's shirt.

"It was just a prank bro!" Jean defended himself.

"Wow, he really must be drunk," Armin commented. Mikasa nodded in agreement.

It was when Christa passed out that the cadets knew, it was time to call it a night. After the two groups bid farewell, the boys took off back to their barracks.  
Mikasa reached down to pick up Christa, Ymir however, was having none of that. The drunk girl gave the sober girl a hefty punch. Mikasa was not prepared to dodge it, and the hit was enough to knock her out.

"Well done, Ymir. Now, we have two unconscious people on our hands," Annie said, the sarcasm notable in her tone.

The blonde did her best to carry a sleeping Mikasa back to the barracks, but it was difficult, for Mikasa was bigger than Annie herself. Meanwhile, Ymir carefully scooped up Christa, tightly securing the girl in her arms.

When Sasha finally lent Annie a hand with Mikasa, the girls were able to reach the barracks. They deposited Mikasa and Christa on their beds, after that they all went to sleep.


	3. Hand To Hand Combat

Hand to Hand Combat

 **A/N Hello! I just wanted to give a special thanks to PamPotterEvans for being the very first person to review this fanfiction! Thanks so much, you made my day. I hope you all like the new chapter. Cheers!**

Eren was fascinated by Annie's technique. Reiner was surely stronger than her, but she was able to take him down in a matter of seconds. ' _How could it be?'_ He wondered. He wasn't sure if she was strangely strong, like Mikasa, or if there were something else...

Annie and Eren were brawling, of course Eren was no match for the impossibly skilled blonde, for he lay on the floor now. Mikasa had just sent Reiner flying, and so she marched up to Annie next. "Hey, Annie. Why don't you teach those moves... to me?"

Annie rose from her crouched position next to Eren. "These moves are meant to be used on humans," she said, staring at Mikasa with icy blue eyes. "However, I am curious if they work on a beast," the girl added, shifting into a fighting stance.

"Are they really going to fight?"

"Who do you think will win?"

"Maybe Annie."

"No, way! I bet all my food on Mikasa."

"It's the perfect match for an ultimate showdown!"

Eren himself was just as interested as the other cadets were. "What do you think?" Reiner asked him.

He thought for a moment. Mikasa was always amazingly strong. She had beaten Reiner just as easily as Annie did. However, Annie's combat skills appeared to be pure brilliance. The work of a genius, if you will. Then again, Mikasa was the one who was always called a genius. "Which one...?" He murmured, unsure.

Annie stepped up to Mikasa. Mikasa responded by shooting her fist out to throw a punch. Annie dodged and took Mikasa's outstretched arm, effectively slamming her down on the ground.

Eren gaped at the sight. "Annie, how? I've never seen someone stronger than Mikasa," he said.

"I'm not stronger than Mikasa. I use this move on opponents that are stronger than myself," Annie clarified.

Mikasa gracefully went back up on her feet. "I get it. If you teach Eren, perhaps he will have a chance the next time we fight," she said, her gaze switching to Eren.

His emerald eyes shone with a burning fire. "Mikasa! I'm stronger than you!" He shouted in blind rage. Of course, he knew, his words were empty. He was even regretful for saying them, because he looked stupid claiming that he could defeat the almighty Mikasa.

"Come at me," the girl replied.

Eren didn't want to come at her though, he was sick of getting defeated in front of his friends. It was even worse when it was Mikasa who defeated him, for she was once the little girl that depended on him, but now she was a brilliant beast of a woman who could send any sorry-sap flying home.

He charged at her anyway. To his surprise, she didn't dodge when he went to tackle her. Moreover, she went limp underneath him. She failed to protect herself against his punch.

Eren quickly released her, realizing that she wasn't responding. "The fuck was that?" He asked in disbelief.

Mikasa sat upright. "I suppose you are stronger than me, Eren," she proclaimed, cupping her bruised face. Her statement resulted in a series of gasps from the surrounding crowd.

"Eren beat Mikasa!?"

"Is Mikasa sick?"

"I can't believe Eren beat up his little sister."

"Has Eren gotten stronger overnight?"

What the cadets were unaware of was that Mikasa had let Eren win. It was her way of damage-control. She accidentally insulted him in front of his friends. She figured the best way to restore his ego would be to allow him to defeat her.

Although he would love to believe that he finally beat Mikasa, Eren was not buying it. He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the ground, intending to drag her away to a less crowded area.

Jean stomped up to the duo before they could get away. "What do you think you're doing, Jaeger?" He angrily questioned.

"I'd just like to talk to Mikasa in private, horseface. Not that it's any of your business!" Eren shouted.

"Why? So you can punch her some more? What kind of brother are you!?" Jean shouted back, enraged.

"Are you serious? We were just training! Besides, Mikasa isn't even my sister, dumbass," retorted Eren.

Mikasa looked down in despair. _'I'm not even his sister?'_ She thought to herself. Her feelings for Eren alarmed her. She realized a while ago, she was in love with him. Eren surely didn't feel that way, but at least she could be a sister for him. Today, however, she learned that she was not even valuable enough to him to be his sister.

Jean was not pleased to hear that the two were not actually siblings. He never liked the way he and Mikasa were always so close. He kept telling himself though, _'You've got nothing to worry about Jean. They're siblings, nothing can happen.'_ This was no longer a valid way for him to comfort himself.

"You bastard!" Horsie screamed, preparing to duel Eren.

Eren badly wanted to fight with Jean, but he was expecting Mikasa to jump in, like _always._ However, when he looked in her direction, Eren found that Mikasa wasn't there. _'Perfect, now I can fight horseface in peace.'_ Eren thought, and with that the battle began.

Amidst the chaos, Eren saw Armin leave the scene in a hurry. He raised an eyebrow, but the distraction was not enough to keep him from teaching that horse a lesson.

The instructor eventually stepped in, and gave both Jean and Eren extra laps after dinner.

At lunch, Eren found Mikasa and Armin at a table. Sitting down, he gave Mikasa an angry glare. "Mika..." he began in a harsh tone. "If you wanted to let me win, did you really have to make it so obvious?" He asked, his tone softening.

"I didn't let you win, Eren. Really, you've bested me," she said, scooping up some food with her spoon.

Eren facepalmed. "If you were really trying back there, then you're not solider material," he said.

"Eren!" Armin called in a high pitched voice. "How could you insult Mikasa this way? Especially after what you said earlier," the blonde scolded.  
The boy lifted his face. "What did I say earlier?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"You said Mikasa isn't your sister!" Armin replied.

"What? Armin, don't you know? We aren't related at all!" responded Eren.

"Even if you aren't related, she's your adoptive sister. You should have the decency to refer to her as such!" Said Armin.

Meanwhile, Mikasa tried to drain out the argument. _'I told Armin not to bring it up..'_ She thought in disdain.

"We literally lived together for like a year. We don't even have the same last name, Armin," Eren explained, rubbing his temple to soouth an incoming headache.

"You're being extremely rude!" The blonde exclaimed.

"In what way!?" Eren challenged.

"Enough!" A voice shouted. The feuding boys faced the source of the sound, Mikasa.

"Armin, it's okay. It makes perfect sense, why would Eren think of me as a sister? After all, I was just an annoyance brought upon his family. I could've lived on my own, but I was selfish enough to seek residency in the Jaeger household. For that, I truly am sorry," Mikasa said.

Theirs eyes widened at Mikasa's comment. Armin gave Eren an angry glare, clearly urging him to say something.

"What? No! You weren't an annoyance. I wanted you to live with me," Eren assured her. Noticing her skeptical expression, Eren continued, "I don't see you as a sister, but that doesn't mean you aren't important to me. You're my best friend." He turned to Armin with a grin, "You're my best friend too, ocean-boy."

A faint smile appeared on the raven-haired girl's face. "If you must know, I did let you win," she said in a playfully mocking tone.

"That was stupid..." Eren muttered.

Mikasa opened her mouth to sooth him, but Armin spoke, "Let him sulk."

Eren was running his laps. Bertholdt was running too, for the instructor had discovered Reiner's theft of alcohol, and the tall boy bravely took the blame for his friend. Jean was inside, because he had finished his punishment earlier.

When Mikasa stepped outside to make sure Eren was okay, she saw a certain blonde was there too. "Annie, shouldn't you be at the barracks now?" She asked.

Annie turned to face Mikasa. "I just wanted to get some fresh air first," she answered. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see Eren," Mikasa admitted.

Annie scoffed. "I guess I'm here to see Bertholdt. Funny isn't it?" She replied.

"What's funny?" Inquired Mikasa.

"The way you're always following Eren around like a lost puppy," answered Annie.

Mikasa frowned. "That isn't true. Besides, didn't you just say you were here to see Bertholdt?" She responded.

"Just cause I'm bored," Annie replied with a glare before standing up.

"I don't think so. You're always hanging around that Bert, Reiner too. Do you like one of them?" Mikasa asked rather bluntly.

"No, I only have time for myself," Annie said.

The blonde started walking away, but then Mikasa spoke, "I know that isn't true. It might not be romantic, but I know you three watch out for each other."

Without turning around, Annie replied, "In that case, are we really that different from you and your friends?"

Annie began walking away again, but then Mikasa placed a hand on her shoulder. "Can we have a rematch?" The oriental girl asked.

She turned around, entertaining a devious smirk on her face. As the sunset, the girls' began their clash.


	4. Captain Levi

Captain Levi

 **A/N Big, big thanks to dbzgtfan2004 and annasatome83 for leaving me wonderful reviews! You guys have no idea how happy that made me. Please enjoy this chapter now, I made it with love!  
**

"Listen up cadets!" A booming voice called, claiming the attention of all the teenagers. "Thankfully, I'm finally getting the chance to be away from you wimps. I've been summoned to discuss important matters with Commander Erwin. I will be back in a week, however your training must continue while I'm away. Captain Levi has been asked to be your instructor during that time," Shadis explained.

"Captain Levi! Isn't he humanity's strongest soldier?"

"I heard he's scary!"

"He can't be worse than Shadis, right?"

"Shut up!" The instructor exclaimed, effectively ending the chatter. "This is Captain Levi," he said as a short man emerged from the shadows.

"That's humanity's strongest?"

"Is it just me, or is he kind of short?"

"No wonder humanity is doomed..."

"Oi, brats! Haven't any of you learned respect?" Levi said.

Keith Shadis soon left the training corps, leaving the young cadets in the care of Captain Levi.

The Captain walked along the line of obedient cadets. _'Not obedient enough..'_ He thought. "Which one of you is number one of your class?" He asked.

Mikasa bravely walked out of the crowd. "I am," she answered.

"Wonderful. Do 50 push ups, 50 sit ups, and 50 laps. If you can't handle that, I'll choose a new number one," said Levi.

Mikasa looked down at Levi and gave him a glare before she began doing push ups.

"The rest of you brats, go have breakfast, unless you'd like to join her?" He shouted.

The rest of the teenagers left, not wanting to suffer the same fate as Mikasa.

"That Captain Levi really is scary, huh?" Said Connie.

"As long as he doesn't take away my food!" Exclaimed Sasha, stuffing her face with bread.

"I don't know who that midget thinks he is, forcing Mikasa to do all that," Jean said.

"I get it," said Eren.

Everyone's heads swiveled to look at him.

"Most of you are scared of Mikasa, right?" He asked.

Annie scoffed.

"Of course not!" Jean yelled.

"Am not!" Connie shouted.

"I am," Sasha admitted.

"She's a lil scary," Christa said, holding her thumb and index finger close to each other.

"Scared of Mikasa? No, way!" Reiner laughed.

"Well, when Captain Levi made her do all that stuff, it was to say, 'Be scared of me now.' Ya know?" Eren said.

"I don't like that guy," said Jean.

"I don't think he's all that bad," Marco said with a smile.

When everyone finished their meal, they went outside to meet the Captain. Mikasa was there, too, running laps. Suddenly, Levi shoved her, and she fell down, panting. "You ran an extra lap, brat," He said.

She looked up at him, clearly angry. "Sorry," Mikasa muttered, her voice reeking of hatred.

"You got mad at her for doing an extra lap!?" Jean suddenly shouted.

"I said 50, no more, no less," responded Levi in a calm tone.

The captain turned around to face the rest of the cadets. "Get your 3DMGs on. We're practicing in the forest," he told them.

Mikasa joined the other cadets as they went to get their 3DMGs. Her panting had ceased, but she was still drenched in sweat.

"You're not gonna eat?" Sasha asked her.

"That midget would have my head if I tried," she replied in a cold voice.

They all spent the rest of afternoon training with their 3DMGs. By lunch, all the cadets had started to hate Levi, except Eren. Eren admired Levi, and wanted to be like the Captain.

After lunch, Levi had them practice hand to hand combat.

Levi Ackerman had always enjoyed using the 3DMG more than he liked hand to hand combat, but watching them practice, he couldn't help but want to join in on the fun. It had been ages since he fought an opponent that could hold their ground against him, and it simply wouldn't be fun fighting against someone he could easily beat. He knew, if well-trained soldiers didn't stand a chance against him, neither could any of these brats. It would be pointless trying to fight with them. They probably wouldn't learn anything either, since he would defeat them before they could count to 10.

If his eyes did not deceive him, then what he was witnessing now was someone with the same problem as himself. It was that girl, the cadet he made run laps. Even when she was up against someone as big as Reiner, she always ended up winning, right away. _'No wonder she's number one..'_ He thought with a scoff.

Suddenly, a bizarre thought entered his mind. He wondered if maybe she could be a suitable opponent for him to duel? Yes, she looked strong here, but that may be only because everyone else was horribly weak. It's not like he had anything to lose though.

"Ackerman," Levi called.

She had just finished traumatizing a certain freckled chump, and then she turned to the captain. "Sir," the raven-haired girl said, holding a hand to her heart.

"Practice with me," he ordered.

Armin overheard this, and it surprised him. Captain Levi specifically said he wouldn't be fighting with any of the cadets, on account of the fact that he could demolish them all with ease. _'Why did he change his mind?'_ The blonde wondered.

Mikasa stalked towards him, a smile evident on her face. She looked excited. It was because she was looking forward to getting revenge on that midget, after what he made her do that morning.

Heads turned in their direction when some of the others noticed Captain Levi was fighting with someone.

Both were impeccably fast, with inhuman reflexes. Everyone knew Mikasa was strong, but her true potential was revealed when she fought against the Captain. With him, she could really push her limits, strive to do better.

Levi was pleasantly surprised, for he had to actually work for this win. She was strong, stronger than he'd imagined. After all, Mikasa didn't appear incredibly muscled, but for all he knew she could be hiding an 8-pack beneath her shirt.

Regardless, the Captain's strength still prevailed, but Mikasa certainly didn't go down without a fight. A fight it was too, for it had caught the attention of all the other cadets.

She proved to be a worthy opponent, after all, and Levi was sure that if he trained her, she could really be something. Mikasa wasn't a graduated soldier yet, but he knew she could definitely keep up with his squad, and if he took her with him he could train her.

He strongly considered the idea, but in the end he decided against it. She may be strong, but she was just a teenager, who lacked experience. She belonged in the training corps, not on his squad, not _yet._

Eren saw that Levi was fighting Mikasa, and he took that as a sign that the Captain was now willing to fight with them. He wanted to fight with Levi too then.

"Jaeger, is there something you want?" Levi asked, noticing Eren's presence.

"Could I practice with you too, sir?" Eren nervously asked.

"Didn't I tell you all earlier-" Levi was interrupted.

"I know, but you were fighting with Mikasa, so I thou-" Eren was interrupted this time.

"Mikasa? Is that her name?" He asked.

"Yeah, it is," Eren replied.

"No, you can't practice with me," Levi said.

"But," Eren began.

"You want to spend the rest of the day cleaning toilets?" The Captain asked.

"No sir!" Exclaimed Eren.

"Then get out of my face," said Levi.

Eren gulped. "Yes sir!" He said before running off.

The cadets were having dinner when suddenly the door flung open. "Helloooooo!" A loud voice called. Everyone turned to face the sound. It was a person - they couldn't tell if this person was female or male - and they wore glasses. Following behind was the much less energetic Captain Levi. "Erwin sent me to help Levi babysit you wonderful children! I have so many fun activities planned!" They said.

"This is Hanji. She claims she is here to help, but I'm sure she will only get in the way," Levi introduced her.

 _'Oh, so it's a girl.'_ Everyone thought.

"Grumpy old Levi at his finest!" Exclaimed Hanji, giving the Captain a hefty pat on the back. She faced the cadets again. "Isn't he cute when he's angry?"

"Watch it, Four-Eyes," Levi warned.

"I have a very fun surprise for you all!" She shouted in excitement. This only further caught the attention of the feasting teenagers.

"Tomorrow will be a snowstorm, so you'll be learning how to survive in unfavorable conditions," Hanji continued.

Some of the future-soldiers in the room let out a grunt or a sigh, not wanting to be out during a storm.

"Don't look so down, though. This means we'll all get to take a fun a little hike through the snow. Afterwards, we'll spend the night at this little cabin that was abandoned years ago, so we've taken it upon ourselves to put it to good use!" Explained Hanji.

Levi sighed. "In other words, you'll all freeze your asses off trying to climb a hill, and then you'll be stuck in a crappy cabin, which has no heat," He said.

"It'll be fun Levi! You and me can be roommates!" Hanji said.

"Tch, I'd rather sleep in the snow," responded Levi with a cold voice.

After dinner, when everyone had retreated to the barracks, Mikasa noticed that some of the girls seemed excited about the hike.

"This means that I'll probably have to share a room with a boy!" Christa exclaimed.

"Like hell you will!" Ymir shouted in anger.

"You always seem to get angry for the strangest reasons, Ymir," The blonde replied confused.

"Can't you see it, Christa? Ymir has been pining over you since our first day here," Annie said.

"Ymir, really?" Christa asked in shock.

"Well, we are destined for each other, right?" Ymir scoffed.

"I always thought I was weird having feelings for you, because we're both girls, you know? So, I always tried to hide it by acting boy-crazy. I'm so happy you feel the same way!" Christa confessed, wrapping her arms around the freckled girl.

"Get the hell out of here, you three!" We're having a moment here," Ymir demanded of the other girls.

"Where do we go?" Sasha asked, munching on a stolen potato.

"Practice for tomorrow and take a hike!" Ymir shouted, shoving the girls out the door.

"So, where do we go?" Sasha asked again once they were outside.

"I guess we can sleep in the forest," Mikasa suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

Annie tried opening the door, but it was locked. "Ymir is such a bitch," she muttered in annoyance.

"It's cold outside, we can't sleep in the forest!" said Sasha.

"The door won't budge. We'll have to take Mikasa up on her suggestion," Annie concluded with a sigh.

"Or, we can spend the night in the boys' barracks," suggested Sasha.

"No, we can't," Mikasa said.

"Ignore her, Mikasa. The potatoes have finally gotten to her brain," said Annie, twirling a finger next to her head to imply the loss of Sasha's sanity.

They did end up sleeping in the forest, shivering during the night. When the three of them awoke, three things were evident. One, they were fucking cold! Two, they felt like shit, sleeping on such an uncomfortable surface. Three, they were still tried, getting an awful night's rest in those conditions.

Mikasa and Annie were cursing Ymir as they made their way to breakfast, meanwhile Sasha was talking about how a good meal would cure them.

"You look like shit," Eren said when Mikasa sat down at his and Armin's table.

Mikasa's frown deepened.

"Eren, that's not how you talk to girls," Armin whispered to his friend.

"It's true, though. Did you not sleep at all, Mikasa?" He asked.

"Not really. Ymir kicked us out and we had to sleep in the forest," She explained in a deadly tone, indicating her bad mood.

"That's rough," replied Eren, stuffing a piece of bacon in his mouth.

Mikasa finished her meal first and stood up to put her plate away. "Uh, Mikasa, I think you're bleeding," Armin said, rather alarmed.

"Who's bleeding?" Hanji jumped in, her voice loud enough to get all the other's attention.

The raven-haired girl looked down, and sure enough, her pants were stained red with her blood. She knew what the problem was though.

"Mikasa! What happened!?" Hanji shouted, noticing her.

"Uh..uh," Mikasa began awkwardly.

"Levi! Mikasa's bleeding! What should I do?" Called Hanji.

"I don't know! You're the medical one!" Levi shouted back, his tone slightly panicked.

Meanwhile, Eren looked quite worried. Everyone else seemed concerned too.

"Umm, Hanji. I'm fairly certain, it's just my period," Mikasa whispered to her, trying to be discrete.

Hanji sighed in a relief. "Phew! It's nothing to be alarmed about everyone! Mikasa's just having some womanly issues!" She very loudly announced.

At that, Mikasa facepalmed, wanting to completely disappear. _'This is such a shit day.'_ She thought to herself.


	5. Snowstorm

Snowstorm

Annie felt really bad for Mikasa that day. Things started out bad when she woke up, and then to add insult to injury, Hanji completely humiliated her in front of literally everyone. Now, the girl's two best friends kept bothering her as they walked through the snow.

"Mikasa, are you okay?" Armin asked.

"Does it hurt that bad?" Eren asked.

"Why are you ignoring us?" Armin asked.

"It can't be that bad, right?" Eren asked.

"Mikasa, what's wrong?" Armin asked.

"Yeah, Mika, you okay?" Eren asked.

The blonde girl had enough, overhearing Armin and Eren. Mikasa was nowhere near her friend, but she felt inclined to do something.  
"Can't you two just shut up already? Isn't it clear that she's having a bad day!?" Annie burst out, dragging the raven-haired girl away from the boys.

"Thanks," Mikasa mumbled once they were away from her friends.

"It's no problem. Boys can be such a pain sometimes," Annie replied, speaking from experience.

"Your two best friends are boys too, right?" Asked Mikasa.

Annie nodded. "Yeah, but it can be hard sometimes," she sighed.

Mikasa nodded in agreement as the two walked side by side.

"I don't understand why Mikasa is acting so weird today," Eren complained as he and Armin walked side by side.

"Girls can be hard to understand sometimes," Armin replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sometimes, I forget Mikasa is a girl," admitted Eren.

Armin laughed. "I think you forget that a lot. Like when you insulted her laugh, and then her appearance. You just don't say that shit to girls," he said.

"Whatever, it's her fault for not acting like a girl," Eren puffed.

The trudge through the snow was difficult, and soon enough the sky darkened. Levi and Hanji whispered about something, and then Levi opened his mouth to speak, "Listen up, brats! Hanji and I are gonna go ahead to the cabin. You're on your own now."

"We don't know where the cabin is!" Jean pointed out.

"That's the fun part! You'll have to work together and find it yourselves," Hanji said with a smile.

"One of you will serve as 'squad captain'," added Levi.

"Who?" Everyone asked.

"How about Jean? He looks like he would be a good leader," Hanji suggested.

"Whatever," Levi replied, and with that the two instructors were off.

"What should we do, Jean?" Marco asked.

Jean thought for a moment. He remembered that Hanji gave everyone tools that shoot out blue smoke. She told them to use it if they got lost.

"Everyone will split into pairs. When someone finds the cabin, use the tool Hanji gave us. That should let everyone know where to go," Jean explained.

"Didn't Hanji say to only use that if we get lost?" Connie piped up.

"Yeah, but that's so she can find whoever is lost. Hanji and Levi should already be at the cabin once someone gets there. That person can tell Hanji our plan," replied Jean.

"That's really smart, Jean! You're a great leader," Marco complimented.

Jean nodded at Marco in acknowledgment.

"Okay, Annie is with Armin, Marco is with Reiner, Bertholt is with Sasha, Christa is with Ymir, Connie is with Eren, and Mikasa will go with me," said Jean.

"You can have Connie. Mikasa and I will go together," Eren spout out.

"I chose the partners according to who works best with who. No exceptions," replied Jean.

"That's not true! Mikasa doesn't work best with you at all. All you do is annoy her, horseface," responded Eren.

"I think I should go with Eren. I need to make sure he doesn't get hurt," said Mikasa.

"What the fuck! I can take care of myself, Mika," Eren angrily said.

"We don't have time for this shit! Everyone start looking for the cabin. Your partner is Connie, Eren. That's final. Mikasa, Eren will be fine without you. This isn't a dangerous activity," said Jean.

Eren scowled, but eventually took off with Connie.

Jean and Mikasa started walking together, both keeping an eye out for the cabin.

"It's awfully cold out, huh?" Jean said, wrapping himself in his arms.

"That's to be expected during a snowstorm," Mikasa replied.

"So..." he said, wanting to continue the conversation.

Mikasa didn't respond.

"Sometimes, I wonder why you always hang out with Eren," said Jean, in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Because, he's my friend," said Mikasa.

"Aren't we friends?" He asked.

"I guess," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Jean suddenly stopped walking and turned around to face her.

"You guess!?" He said.

Mikasa noticed the large branch above him was starting to crack from snow piling on it.

"Jean look o-" she was interrupted.

"You simply don't know what's good for you!" shouted Jean.

Mikasa sighed. The branch was about to fall on him, and he wasn't listening. She dashed into Jean, pushing him away, but at the cost of her own safety. The branch toppled over her instead.

Jean was shocked. He couldn't even see Mikasa anymore, because she was so deeply buried in snow by this point. The trees were really big out there, so the branch was very heavy and long. He knew he couldn't lift it himself.

He needed help, leaving him with only one option. Jean fired the flare off, gaining the attention of the other cadets, whom began making their way to him.

Hanji and Levi were already at the cabin. "Hanji, one of them fired off a flare," Levi informed her, noticing the smoke.

"That means one of them got lost," she said.

"Tch, stupid brats. I'll go save them, you wait for the others here," Levi ordered, before heading towards the smoke.

Marco and Reiner were the first to arrive.

"I don't see the cabin, Jean," Marco quickly observed.

"I fired it off, because Mikasa got trapped under this branch. I need your help getting her out," Jean said, pointing towards the debris.

Reiner and Jean lifted each side of the branch up and moved it away. Afterwards, Marco instantly started digging her out of the snow. She was unconscious as expected, and appeared to be catching frostbite.

"Shit," Jean muttered, picking up her limp body.

The next pair to arrive were Eren and Connie. Eren's eyes widened when he saw Jean carrying Mikasa.

"What the fuck happened!?" He demanded, rushing over.

"A branch fell on her, and she got covered in snow. We need to warm her up, right now," Jean answered.

"Hanji will probably show up soon, since you shot off the flare," said Reiner.

"I knew I shouldn't have left you with her!" Shouted Eren.

"It's not like I dropped the branch on her!" Jean retorted.

"I don't give a shit, get away from her!" Eren demanded, taking Mikasa from Jean.

Soon, Captain Levi found the group. "Alright, which one of you shits shot the flare off?" He asked, clearly displeased.

"It was Jean," Connie answered, pointing to the ash-haired boy.

"I knew you'd be a crappy captain," Levi said to Jean, shaking his head.

Levi turned to Eren, who was cradling Mikasa in an attempt to warm her up. "What's with Ackerman?" He asked.

"Jean fucked up," Eren answered, shooting Jean an angry look.

"What he means is, Mikasa got trapped under a branch and she was covered in snow," explained Marco.

"For number one, she should've been able to escape it," Levi commented.

"Actually, It was kind of my fault. She pushed me from under the branch and got trapped instead. I didn't notice it was falling," Jean confessed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Whatever. I'll take her to Hanji, the rest of you still have to find the cabin yourselves," said Levi. He reached down to grab Mikasa from Eren. "Oh, by the way, you're the new captain, Jaeger," he said, before shooting off with his 3DMG.

Armin and Annie met up with everyone next.

"What's going on?" Armin asked Eren.

"Horseface got Mikasa hurt, so Levi came and took her. I'm the new captain now," Eren replied.

"Is she okay?" Armin asked concerned.

"I think so. She looked okay to me, just cold. Hanji should be able to warm her up," answered Eren.

Slowly, but surely, the rest of the cadets arrived. Eren stood up to face them. "Jean failed and now we're down one man," he said.

"Wait, what!? Did someone die?" Sasha yelped.

"No, Eren is just being dramatic," Reiner answered.

"What happened then?" asked Christa in a worried tone.

"He means that Mikasa is gone," said Armin.

"Mikasa isn't a man," Sasha pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. It's just a fucking saying, guys," Eren sighed.

"Where did she go anyway?" Ymir asked.

"The cabin, and it's getting really late, so we gotta get going too," answered Eren.

"That's true. What should we do, Jean?" asked Christa.

Jean opened his mouth to speak, but Eren spoke first. "Actually, I'm the new captain. Instead of splitting up, we're gonna go ahead and just walk ahead until we find the place," he said.

Meanwhile, Levi had just returned to the cabin.

"Hanji, this brat is catching frostbite," Levi said upon entering the cabin.

"Put her on the bench," Hanji ordered.

Levi did as asked. Hanji instantly hovered over her. She gently shook Mikasa. "Wake up, Mikasa. You need to change out of those clothes," she said.

Eventually, the raven-haired girl's eyes fluttered open. She groaned and her hands immediately clutched her abdomen, where the branch hit her.

"Where am I?" Mikasa asked.

"You failed the assignment and I had to bring you here myself," Levi answered disapprovingly.

"It's cold," she murmured, hugging herself.

Hanji held up a thin, old, white night gown, which she found in the closet. "Change into this," she said.

"Hanji, if you think I'm gonna wear-" Mikasa's protests went unnoticed, for within a few minutes she found herself clothed by the garment. She was surprised it even fit, since it looked like it was made for either an old women, or a little girl.

"Aww, you look cute!" Hanji complimented, after Mikasa exited the bedroom she changed in.

"You look pathetic, which you are, since you failed such an easy thing," said Levi.

"Here, Mikasa," Hanji said, handing her a bundle of blankets. "You should warm up,"

Levi took the blankets from Mikasa and dropped them on the bench. "You couldn't even complete the assignment, the least you can do is help me clean up this disgusting place," he said, handing her a broom.

The rest of the cadets were still outside trying to locate the cabin.

"I'm certain it's this way!" Eren shouted, pointing towards a direction.

"You've been certain like 10 times, but we're still out here freezing!" Connie complained.

"Not that I doubt you, Eren, but I don't think we'll ever find the cabin at this rate, and we won't survive the night out here," said Armin through chattering teeth.

"And, what do you propose!?" Eren asked in an irritated tone.

"Don't snap at Armin. You're the one who's failing!" Annie defended. She and Armin had started to get friendlier with each other after walking together.

"It's alright, Annie, I actually do have a plan," Armin said.

"What?" Everyone asked him.

"Captain Levi was using his 3DMG to get Mikasa to the cabin. We should check the trees for hook marks and follow in that direction," Armin explained.

"That's smart! Let's do it," said Marco.

The group inspected the trees for marks, and once they found a trail of trees that bared them, they were able to successfully locate the cabin.

Eren knocked on the door. "Look who's finally here," Levi said upon opening the door.

"Poor Armin! He looks so cold," Hanji commented. "Eren, go get him some blankets from the closet."

Eren nodded and made his way to the closet. He opened it, and to his surprise, his eyes met with Mikasa's. "What are you doing here?" The boy questioned.

"I'm hiding from those two, they're crazy! Hanji won't stop talking about titans, and Levi was forcing me to clean, and he was never satisfied with anything I did!" Mikasa hollered in distress.

Eren chuckled as he grabbed the blankets. "Come on, I think it's time to eat," he said, pulling Mikasa by the hand.

"Look, Levi! Eren has found Mikasa, we don't need to send a search party, after all!" Hanji exclaimed in relief.

"Tch, she thought she could evade her duties by hiding. Set the table, brat," said Levi.

Mikasa grumbled as she set the table. Hanji had brought food rations to the cabin before the snowstorm started. The cadets slowly began filling the chairs around the table. Once Mikasa was finished, she scanned the room for a seat, but found there were none left vacant.

"Oh, right, we're one chair short, Mikasa. It's okay, though, you can share with Eren!" Hanji said as she shoved Mikasa down on Eren's lap.

Mikasa immediately jolted up off his lap, fashioning a reddened face. "It's okay, I can stand," she said, pulling her scarf up to shield her face.

Eren awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "You can have my cha-" he was interrupted.

"You can sit on my lap, Mikasa!" Jean blurted out.

Eren shot Jean a look of anger, and yanked Mikasa back down on his lap just to piss him off. It was his way of saying, _'Fuck off, she's mine.'_ Eren always assumed she was _his,_ but he wasn't sure in what _way._

Suffice to say, the tension was high as they ate. Jean and Eren were both sending each other death glares, meanwhile Mikasa struggled to control her blush. Levi was annoyed by the unnecessary drama. However, Armin was amused by it all. It was clear to him that Mikasa liked Eren, and there were moments like these when Armin suspected that Eren felt the same way about her.

"There are 4 rooms, so Levi and I will share one, which means groups of 4 will share the other 3 rooms," Hanji explained after they finished dinner.

Sasha, Connie, Jean, and Marco ended up in one room. Another room was shared by Bertholt, Reiner, Ymir, and Christa. The final room was occupied by Armin, Annie, Eren, and Mikasa.

"There's only one bed, so I guess Annie and Mikasa can share it, and then Eren and I will sleep on the floor," Armin proposed.

"You and Annie can share the bed. I'll sleep on the floor," Mikasa offered, spreading a blanket on the ground.

"But-" Armin was interrupted.

"It's alright for us to share, Armin, most people think you're a girl anyway," said Annie.

Yet another crack formed on Armin's self esteem. _'It's alright. She just said that so that she has an excuse to sleep with you. You're just that popular with the ladies, Armin.'_ He told himself in an attempt to heal his ego.

Armin was right, Annie really did say that as an excuse to sleep with him, but it's not like her words were a lie. A lot of people had mistaken him for a female. Annie would never admit it, but she had a crush on the fellow blonde.

Earlier, when Annie had rescued Mikasa from Eren and Armin, the two girls got chatting. Mikasa had deduced that Annie had a crush on Armin, so she suggested they share the bed to help Annie out. It was her way of paying the blonde back after what she did for her.

Annie and Armin shared the bed, and Mikasa and Eren shared the floor, they all fell asleep soon enough.

Levi was relieved to finally turn in for the night, however his relief was cut short when Hanji jumped in the bed with him.

"I just got done checking on the children. They're all asleep," Hanji said with a mischievous grin.

"You can't possibly be suggesting that we do _that_ here," replied Levi.

"Why not? It's been forever!" responded Hanji.

"It's been 2 days," Levi said with a frown.

Hanji stood up on her knees and clasped her hands together. "Please?" She said.

Levi smirked at the sight of Hanji begging. He wouldn't say it aloud, but he was also in the mood to do _that._ So, it was with amazing speed and strength that he had Hanji pinned down in an instant. Levi leaned down and roughly kissed her.

It wasn't anything serious. They just did it with each other because Hanji happened to be the only women that could handle Levi's stamina in the bedroom, and Hanji also happened to enjoy it, _very, very_ much. At least, that's what they told themselves...


	6. Sunny Day

Sunny Day

 **A/N Sorry for the long wait guys! I've been swamped lately, but now I have more time to write. Shoutout to annasatome83 for leaving me another review! :)**

Armin had woken up first. He turned to see Annie still asleep. When he looked down, he saw that Eren and Mikasa were also still asleep. He smiled when he saw that the two had rearranged their positions during the night. Eren had his arm around Mikasa's shoulders, meanwhile Mikasa had slung her arm protectively over Eren's waist.

Suddenly, Sasha burst through the door, Connie, Jean, and Marco following behind. Annie stirred at the noise and opened her heavy eyelids. However, Mikasa and Eren remained deep in sleep, not at all disturbed.

"What are you guys doing here?" Armin asked.

"Ms. Hanji said that Captain Levi will be sleeping late today and that we must wait for him to awake before we leave," Marco explained.

"You've woken me up just to give me this urgent update?" Annie questioned, obviously sarcastic.

"Actually, we just got kind of bored waiting and decided to see what you guys were up to!" Sasha exclaimed.

"I was sleeping," Annie mumbled, shoving her face under the pillow.

"I take it, Annie isn't much of a morning person?" said Connie.

"I'm not much of a getting-woken-up-by-stupid-people person," retorted Annie.

"Come on, Annie. It's getting late anyway, you should be getting out of bed now," Armin told her.

"I'll get up once those two sleeping-beauties over there decide to wake up," she replied, gesturing towards Eren and Mikasa.

"I'll wake them up for you, Annie!" Sasha volunteered. Then, she crouched next to the two and roughly shook them. "Wake up!" shouted Sasha.

"What's that?" Mikasa asked, her eyes still closed.

"Titans!" Eren exclaimed, still dreaming.

"No," Mikasa said with a yawn. "That can't be it." Then, the raven-haired girl finally opened her eyes and saw Sasha. "Oh, it's just potato girl," she mumbled, closing her eyes again.

"Let's just let them sleep," Marco suggested.

"Or, we could pour cold water all over their faces! Imagine how fun that'd be!" said Connie.

"Getting killed by Mikasa doesn't sound very fun," Marco pointed out.

"Maybe you're right, I bet she would rip you in half," replied Connie.

"Can you guys get out now? I'm trying to sleep," said Annie.

Annie didn't get to go back to sleep though, because Hanji soon entered the room.

"Get up cadets! Meet me at the main room," Hanji ordered before running off to get the others.

"Mikasa, Eren, you need to wake up now. Hanji wants us to go to the main room," Armin said, shaking his friends awake.

Finally, everyone was awake and had met up in the main room.

"Good morning everyone!" Hanji greeted.

Silence...

"The storm has passed and it is actually quite sunny today. Getting back won't be a problem at all," she cheerily explained.

"When will we be leaving?" Bertholt asked.

"I'll go see if Levi is awake. Until then, everyone should prepare for the trip back. We'll depart soon," Hanji announced.

Christa and Ymir stood next to each other, somewhat awkwardly. Everyone else could sense the strong tension between the couple.

 ****FLASHBACK****

Ymir and Christa were walking through the snow, looking for the cabin as Jean ordered. They were shocked to see one of their friends passed out on the ground. It was Bertholt. They assumed he must've been separated from Sasha somehow.

"Bertholt!" Christa cried, running over.

"He's knocked out. We need to fire off the flare to get some help," Ymir said.

Christa felt her belt, looking for the flare, but she couldn't find it. "I don't have one..." she said.

Ymir took out her own flare, but when she tried to shoot it, the tool did not work.  
"Mine's broken," Ymir announced after trying a few more times.

"I'll carry him then," said Christa, as she worked to drag Bertholt.

"Christa, you can't carry him. He's too heavy for you. We have to find the cabin ourselves. It's getting late," Ymir replied.

"But... he'll freeze to death if we leave him!" Exclaimed Christa.

"There's nothing to be done. You'll freeze to death if you try to save him," responded Ymir.

Christa tried anyway. She refused to leave Bertholt behind. The blonde used all her strength to drag Bertholt with her, but she did not move very fast. They would definitely freeze before they find the cabin.

"Leave him," Ymir demanded.

"No," Christa protested.

"You haven't even asked me for help. It's almost as if you want to die," Ymir observed.

"That's not it," replied Christa.

"You do want to die... don't you? You want to die trying to save another cadet. You'll be remembered as a hero," Ymir realized.

"Of course not!" Shouted Christa.

"That's selfish," Ymir commented.

"You don't understand," replied Christa.

"Go find the others. I will take care of Bertholt," said Ymir.

"But how? You can't drag him much better than I can," responded Christa.

"It will be okay. Now go!" Ymir shouted.

"The only way to move forward is down that hill. You won't be able to bring him down there. Let me do it!" Cried Christa.

"I won't give you the opportunity to go out with a blaze. Leave, now!" Ymir ordered.

Christa was hesitant, but eventually she took off in the other direction.

After Captain Levi took Mikasa, all the cadets were regrouping together. Sasha arrived and explained how she and Bertholt were separated. Christa came and witnessed Sasha's panic. The other cadets assured Sasha that it was okay and that he would be able to get back on his own.

"Where's Ymir?" Jean asked Christa.

"We were separated," Christa replied in a low voice.

She said no more after that.

Ymir and Bertholt were the last ones to arrive. It appeared that Bertholt was awake again, and it seemed as thought nothing had happened.  
Christa walked up to Ymir as the rest of the cadets went over plans. "What happened?" The blonde questioned.

"I took him down the hill and he woke up after that," Ymir explained.

"How did you-" Christa was interrupted.

"On the day that I reveal who I really am to everyone, I want you to take back your name and live your life," Ymir said. With that, the freckled girl left, leaving Christa dumbfounded.

 ****PRESENT TIME****

"Good news everyone!" Hanji shouting, running back into the main room. "Levi is awake. We can leave now," she said. Levi followed behind, seemingly annoyed.

The group began their journey to the training corps. Hanji was right, it was considerably sunny out. Many of the cadets actually enjoyed the trek back.

"Ymir," Christa began as the two walked side by side.

"Christa, just remember what I said when that day comes. There is nothing more to talk about," Ymir shot back.

The two did not speak anymore for the rest of the way.

Jean was having an internal struggle of sorts. He felt bad that his foolishness got Mikasa hurt, and he was ashamed that his leadership had failed. He realized he needed to give the idea of being with Mikasa a rest. The ash-haired boy decided he should focus on himself. Specifically, he had to face the prospect that he was not perfect, and clearly needed some serious improvement.

Once everyone had returned, they enjoyed some lunch and resumed normal training activities. The awkwardness between Christa and Ymir quickly faded. Everything had apparently returned to normal. Or, so it seemed...

 **A/N I know this chapter was short, but I think the next one will be longer. The next chapter I post will probably be a Valentine's Day special, so look out for that! I really want to include some character ark for Jean into this fic. Most stories portray him as some annoying idiot that has the hots for Mikasa. As much as that's fun to read about, I really don't think that's what the series intended him to be. Jean is actually one of my favorite characters, because of how well his character is developed. Yes, he starts out annoying, but he really does grow as a person, and I want my fic to show that. I'm also trying to make Christa and Ymir's relationship more realistic, because I know I kind of rushed that. Also, I kind of turned Ymir into a yandere at times... which is not what I intended! One more thing, I realize I kind of made Levi show his emotions slightly more than in the series, but I guess I'm just not good at writing completely stoic characters. Long story short, I want this fanfiction to be about all of the characters instead of just Mikasa and Eren, even though those two are obviously my favorite!**


	7. Mikasa's Birthday

**A/N I Today is Mikasa's Birthday, yay! I wanted this chapter to be longer but I got really sick. Sorry guys! I hope I'll feel better in time to deliver that Valentine's day special. If not, I'll probably still do it, just a little late. Also, I'm sorry if there are some errors. I did this whole chapter on a phone, so yeah... Enjoy!**

Mikasa's Birthday

Levi and Hanji left about a month ago and Keith Shadis returned. The old routine was back.

It was morning and the cadets were getting up. Mikasa was particularly tired that day. She clumsily moved out of the barracks with a yawn, her eyes barely open.

"Happy Birthday, Mikasa!" Two voiced exclaimed from around the corner, startling the raven-haired girl.

Armin and Eren were the ones who spoke the phrase, she realized after seeing the two familiar faces.

"Mikasa, it's your birthday today?" Christa asked.

Mikasa had not been paying much attention to dates recently. She knew her birthday was that month, of course. However, she failed to notice it was today. She took a moment to count the days in her head.

"Yeah," the girl at last answered.

"How old are you?" Sasha wondered.

"15," replied Mikasa.

"You're older than us now, Mika!" Eren announced.

At that, Mikasa rolled her eyes. She was only around several months older than Armin and the difference was even less with Eren.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked. After all, those two didn't really belong in this area. It was the exit of the girls' barracks.

"We came to wish you a happy birthday," Eren answered, pulling her into a hug.

"Thanks," said Mikasa with a smile as she withdrew from the hug.

News quickly spread at breakfast, and soon everyone was congratulating Mikasa on turning 15, as if it were some grand accomplishment. Turning 15 isn't so hard, but turning 16 is something else. The age of 16 for a soldier marks a whole year of titan fighting. Most don't survive that long out on the battlefield.

Things were somewhat chaotic lately. In only a few weeks time, the cadets would graduate and pick their legion. There was talk about which legion to pick and which to stay away from. Nearly everyone agreed that the scouting legion is something to be avoided. Those who were in the top 10 were set on entering the MPs. Well, most of them anyway. The rest of the cadets would probably join the Garrison.

After they ate their poorly prepared crumbs for the day, the cadets all lined up for yet another day of harsh training. Training that would soon end, finally, only to be replaced with even more difficult and dangerous work. Well, for whoever joined the scouts, that is. The rest of them would all take a stroll in the park for the rest of their lives.

As per usual, Mikasa excelled, leaving behind a small trail of jealous comrades. Eren wasn't as infuriated as normal. He tried to remember is was her birthday, not the right time to be upset.

It was the evening now, right after training and just before dinner.

Mikasa was sitting on a bench outside while the other cadets conversed inside, waiting for dinner to be served.

Eventually, Eren stepped outside in search of the birthday girl.

"Hey," He greeted, sitting down next to her.

"Hi," she said.

"Something wrong?" Eren asked.

"No, I was just thinking, I'm old enough to be a soldier now," answered Mikasa.

"Soon, we'll all be soldiers," responded Eren.

"About that… Eren please don't join the scouts. You have no idea how dangerous it is," Mikasa begged.

"You already know that's what I want. I'll join the Survey Corps, you can join the MPs, and I bet Armin will join the Garrison," he replied.

"Eren, you already know that I'll follow you anywhere," she told him.

"Mikasa, you're in the top 10. You can join the Military Police. You don't have to chase me to hell and back," he responded.

"I'll join the scouts if that's where you'll be. I'm sure Armin will too, since he wants to see the outer wall," Mikasa explained.

"You guys would be better off in the other regiments," Eren pouted.

"It's no matter. I'm certain this is how it'll go," she said.

"Alright then," said Eren with a sigh.

"You know, today is one of my very favorite days," he announced after a while, breaking the silence.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because, it's the day of which the world was gifted a wonderful person named Mikasa," he explained with a smile.

In response, her lips curved to form a beautiful and rare smile. It wasn't often that Eren was so sweet to her. He was always preoccupied, thinking about titans with an intense expression plastered on his face.

Whenever he did act so kindly, it reminded her of their childhood. By day, they hung out with Armin, and by night, he fought away her nightmares about the death of her parents. He was a lot more patient with her during their earliest days of acquaintance. If only they could return to those days…

Mikasa was surprised when some of the other cadets sang her the "Happy Birthday" song at dinner, Armin and Eren included.

Overall, it was a simplistic but sweet day, and for once, Mikasa went to bed with a faint smile glued to her face.


	8. Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

Nile Dawk, the Military Police commander, and another MP were discussing something in his office.

"There has been a string of murders that requires some heavy investigation, sir," the officer explained.

"We'll just toss it onto the new recruits. Shouldn't the rookies in the 104th be joining us soon now?" Nile asked.

"Yes, in about a week, but I heard that out of a potential 10 recruits, most of them won't be joining our regiment," replied the subordinate.

"How do you know?" The commander asked.

"Well, a report Shadis had sent detailed how passionate the 5th best cadet is about the scouts. Evidently, the 2nd and 3rd best will also be joining the scouts. Luckily, we can count on the 6th best joining us though," he answered.

"What about the rest of them?" Nile wondered.

"I think it's safe to say the 4th best will also be joining us, but I heard that the number 1 cadet will be joining the scouts. The rest of them are still unsure," the MP responded.

"We only get 10 newbies every few years as it is! Now, you're telling me we won't even have that?" The commander replied, outraged.

"Afraid so," they sighed.

"But, why?" Said Nile.

"Apparently, a lot of them think we're just a couple of rich snobs who don't do anything," replied the subordinate.

"Now, where'd they get an idea like that?" He questioned.

"…"

"Don't answer that. We simply have to fix our reputation. Valentine's day is coming up, right?" Nile said.

"That is true," they confirmed.

"Send the cadets some chocolate from the Military Police regiment. That'll lift their spirits more than the Survey Corps ever has," the commander responded.

"But, sir… chocolate is expensive and there are a lot of cadets," the MP replied.

"Then, make it a condition that only couples can have chocolate," Nile smirked.

A few days later it was Valentine's day, and the cadets were readying themselves to train like any other day.

Keith Shadis stood before them. "As you all know, today is Valentine's Day," he announced.

"Today's Valentine's Day?" Connie piped up, previously unaware.

"Anyway, I've been asked to distribute some chocolate that was sent by the Military Police to celebrate this treasured day," Shadis explained.

"Chocolate!?" Sasha cried in disbelief, mouth watering.

"Hold your horses, the letter specifically states that only couples can have it," he said.

"What does that mean!?" Sasha asked, horrified.

"It means that you can only have the chocolate if you can get a Valentine by the end of the day," Shadis answered.

"Noooo!" She cried.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way let's get started with the training," he said.

At lunch, a few of the chocolate-loving cadets got to work trying to get a Valentine.

"Connie!" Sasha called, quickly ceasing the chair beside him.

"Yeah?" Connie responded.

"Be my Valentine!" She demanded.

"You obviously just want the chocolate," he replied, shaking his head.

"So?" She said.

"I guess you're right, I kind of want chocolate too anyway," declared Connie after a moment of contemplating.

"Yay!" Sasha cheered.

Another table seated Annie, Jean, Mikasa, Armin, Eren, and Marco.

"Armin," Annie shyly said, head tilted downwards.

"What's up?" Armin replied.

"I've always had a really big sweet tooth. I love sugar, so I was wondering if you'd be my Valentine?" She asked.

"Uh, … Sure!" He answered, hesitating slightly in a moment of awkwardness.

Mikasa was skeptical. She couldn't imagine that Annie, of all people, supposedly bared a massive sweet tooth.

"I wouldn't take you as a fan of chocolate, Annie," she said.

"You're one to talk, Mikasa. If I recall correctly, you went nuts for chocolate back at Shiganshina," Armin mentioned.

"…"

"If you like chocolate so much, would you want to be my Valentine?" Jean proposed.

Mikasa took a second to think, but when she pictured a delicious bar of chocolate she instantly blurted out, "Okay."

"What a betrayal. Now how am I supposed to get chocolate?" Eren casually complained with a sigh.

"You can ask someone else," Armin suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"If you think I'd have a chance with Christa or Ymir, you're crazy," Eren shot back.

"You can be my Valentine, Eren," Marco offered with a smile.

It wasn't like Eren was homophobic or anything, but he still didn't like the idea of having a guy for his Valentine, even if it was just for some chocolate. Still, he was willing to agree to the engagement for Marco's sake.

"Aren't you allergic to chocolate, Marco?" Jean said.

Now there was no reason to agree.

"Thanks for the offer Marco, but I actually hate chocolate. I was just joking before," he lied.

Later that day after dinner, Shadis gifted the couples some chocolate. The couples were; Sasha and Connie, Armin and Annie, Jean and Mikasa, and Christa and Ymir. Marco, Reiner, Bertholt, and Eren missed out.

The couples lingered at their tables a bit longer to eat their chocolate and converse.

Eren sat on a bench outside. He was getting some fresh air before bed.

"Hey," a voiced called from behind him. He turned around and saw Mikasa.

"Shouldn't you be eating chocolate with your Valentine?" Eren asked, somewhat bitterly.

She sat beside him and held out her chocolate bar. "Eren, will you be my Valentine?" Mikasa asked.

"Sure," he answered with a smile, breaking the chocolate bar in half and handing her a piece.

As they looked up at the stars, the hands they weren't using to eat had subconsciously met and intertwined fingers.

 **A/N I added that bit about Annie liking sweets because I think it was briefly mentioned in the anime. Anyway, I hate to be one to ask for reviews, but please review! When yal stay silent it feels like I'm talking to myself about something no one cares about. A few kind (or constructive criticism) is all it takes to encourage me. When I get a review it makes my day and inspires to get a chapter done 2x faster than I normally would. The next chapter will be a lot longer, so look out for that!**


	9. Graduation

Graduation

 **A/N Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out! I had it written a while ago but I had some trouble uploading it. This is the final chapter of this fanfiction. I hope it's a suitable ending! (Please see end notes for important details)**

It was undoubtedly the most exciting moment of their very lives. Well, it would be once they were officially graduated, but first came the task of cleaning the wall. All the new soldiers were forced to clean the wall before choosing their regiment. Why did they have to perform such a random job? They weren't given an explanation.

Regardless, a few nights before the dreaded job was set be complete, more than a few of the cadets thought it was cause for celebration.

"We're finally going to get out of here!" Connie mused.

"Yeah, I'll finally be living a life of luxury over at Wall Sina," Jean added.

"I think it's a bit bittersweet. I know I have my whole life ahead of me and all, but I'll never forget the time spent here, with you guys. It'll be sad when some of us part ways," Marco sighed.

"Yeah, we should make the most of this night while we're still together. We should celebrate somehow," Reiner proposed with a grin.

Meanwhile, things were getting emotional at the girls' barracks…

"I'll miss you all so much!" Sasha hollered, practically sobbing. "I'll also miss potatoes," she added, rubbing her moist eyes.

"It's not like you'll never see a potato again," Ymir said, rolling her eyes.

"But who knows if I'll ever see you guys again!" She cried, collapsing onto Ymir in a hug.

"You're right. We might not ever get to hang out again. As you all know, Shadis is out making preparations for our graduation. We could sneak out and celebrate with ease!" Christa eagerly explained.

"Where would we go?" Annie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I dunno. Any ideas Mikasa?" Christa questioned.

Mikasa was in a world of her own though. Graduation was indeed dangerously near. This only meant her friends would be in even more danger soon. She didn't like to think about the possibilities, but the girl could not just ignore the fact that her dearest Eren could die trying to kill a titan soon.

She shuddered at the very thought, suddenly wanting to be near him after suffering a mental image of his dead body.

"We could go hang out with the boys. Chances are, they're still awake," she replied, set on meeting up with her friends to make sure they were okay.

Sasha perked up at the suggestion. "That's a great idea! I've been missing Connie," she said, turning red as she realized what she said.

Ymir laughed. "It's a good thing too. I didn't want you attached to me all night," the freckled girl said.

So, it was decided then. The girls carefully stepped out, one by one, before softly padding towards the boy's barracks.

Mikasa, who was leading the group, quietly cracked open the door just to hear the words: "Truth or dare?" 'Those silly boys,' she thought, shaking her head in amusement.

"Truth," Eren confidently shot back.

Bertholt, however, did not appear as confident. After all, he didn't really see the point in this stupid game. He thought about asking the age old question of who one likes, but that seemed too immature. Instead, he asked, "Who is your perfect bride?"

Eren was caught off guard. It wasn't a very complex question to him, though he did take a moment to think. The obvious choice might've been a simple "I'm not sure" but Eren kind of had an idea and he despised those that took the easy way out.

"If I ever were to marry, I guess it would be Mikasa, but it's ahh," he answered, suddenly feeling nervous and breaking the sentence in a sweat.

Armin did not so much as lift an eyebrow. It was obvious to him, from the very beginning he supposed. He and Eren have never discussed romantic concepts, but Armin did assume that if Eren ever felt the need to indulge himself, Mikasa would likely be the obvious choice. Of course, he knew she would accept him gladly, considering her feelings towards him were crystal clear.

Mikasa, however, was another story. She was still standing by the door, shocked beyond words after hearing Eren's response.

Christa pulled the girl away from the door and firmly grabbed her shoulders, although it was difficult for the blonde to appear tough in comparison to Mikasa who was a good few inches taller than her.

"You shouldn't have stood there so long! What if he saw you?" She whispered.

"Uh…uh," evidently, Mikasa was at a loss for words.

"I'm so happy for you Mikasa!" Sasha exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight.

"Why?" She mustered out the single word.

"Didn't you hear? Your crush just said he wants to marry you!" Christa answered instead.

"He's not my crush," Mikasa went on, feeling incredibly anxious.

"Go tell that lie to someone else," Ymir snickered, earning a threatening glare from the raven-haired girl.

"It's just a game, not like he means it anyway," she sighed.

"Of course he does!" Sasha assured her.

"Can we go inside already?" Annie complained, looking distressed from the coolness of the air.

Christa released her grip on Mikasa and gave a curt nod before strolling inside the barracks.

As the short blonde entered, it appeared that their brief game has already come to an end.

"What… are you doing here Christa?" Armin asked, looking rather perplexed.

Thankfully, Sasha popped in just then, wearing a wide grin. "We wanted to spend one of our last nights here together," she explained, eyeing Connie in particular.

Reiner welcomed the newcomers with open arms, specifically the goddess known as Christa. Meanwhile, Sasha and Connie chattered amongst themselves. Ymir and Annie came in too, but those two mostly kept to themselves.

'Someone is missing,' Eren realized. "Hey, where's Mikasa?" He asked.

"She isn't here? Huh, that's weird. She came with us," Sasha remarked, scratching her chin in thought.

Eren didn't really like the sound of that. He wasn't sure if he should shrug her absence, or embark on a frantic search to retrieve his best friend. He figured she could take care of herself and did not move an inch.

Mikasa sat down, back pressed against the wall of the barracks and legs spread out. She was thinking. Thinking about what Eren had said. She knew it was nothing to take seriously, but to her his words meant the world.

It was quite late though, and she had woken up a lot earlier than the others to fit in some extra training. After all, she didn't achieve that eight-pack sleeping. Plus, this heavy contemplation was utterly exhausting! It was a long day, to say the least.

It was no surprise when her head dipped downwards, in a quite uncomfortable manner, as she fell into a very deep sleep.

It had been maybe an hour since the girls joined them, and still no sign of Mikasa. According to Eren's comrades, the night was still young, and he shouldn't be bothered.

He was bothered though, which is why he stepped outside and rounded the corner. Bingo! There she was! Upon closer inspection, he realized she was asleep. 'She always overworks herself,' he thought with a sigh.

Eren gently nudged her, telling her she should go back and sleep. It was cold out, she shouldn't be sleeping there. Mikasa did not budge, clearly exhausted from a lack of sleep. He figured it was from the training, but Mikasa had also been kept up late from worry. After all, they were that much closer to becoming Scouts.

He quickly realized his attempts were futile and tried a different approach. Eren slid his arm under her legs and wrapped his other around her back before carefully lifting her up. She shuffled slightly, but remained asleep.

Unfortunately for him, Mikasa was a lot heavier than she looked. Annoying, yeah, but it wasn't like he couldn't carry her. Although, Mikasa was undeniably stronger than him, he had quite a lot of muscle too.

Eren walked the short distance over to the girl's barracks. After scanning the room, he spotted a bed with a red scarf draped across it. Another 'bingo' went off in his head at the sight. He gently laid her down and covered her with the blanket.

Just as he was about to leave, she stirred, accompanied by a meek "Eren" being called out.

Turning around, he asked, "You're awake?"

"Hmm, yeah. How did I get here?" She replied with a yawn.

"You fell asleep outside, which was pretty stupid considering it's freezing outside, and then you wouldn't wake up. So, I had to carry you," he explained.

"Oh, sorry," she said, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Don't be," he responded, and then it looked like he was heading for the door.

"Wait," Mikasa suddenly said.

Eren turned around again, seemingly annoyed. Mikasa realized he probably wanted to get back to the little celebration they were having. She decided not to be too much of a burden and waved him off.

He frowned. "Don't just pass me off after you've already got my attention," Eren said, slightly hostile.

"I'm sorry," Mikasa whispered, lips quivering in guilt.

Eren wondered why she was being so emotional. "What's wrong?" He asked, concern filling his voice.

"Nothing. It's just, I heard your truth or dare," she answered.

His eyes widened. "Which one?" Asked Eren.

"The last one," Mikasa replied, drawing in a shaky breath.

"Well, I meant it," was all he said before leaving

 **A/N I know, I know! This is the second time I wrote them playing truth or dare, and I'm sorry! I read a character interview where Eren supposedly admitted that Mikasa would be his ideal bride. (Not canon unfortunately.) That inspired me to sort of write a similar confession into this fic. I know it was super OOC for him to simply admit that he meant what he said, but I've already been writing them a little OOC in order to fulfill my own fantasies, so yeah. I wanted to announce that I will be starting a new AOT fanfiction now that this one is finished. It will be a series of one shots revolving around my favorite ships. It would be awesome if you guys checked it out, and I hope to see you there! Bye!**


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